I bought a stoeger double defense, coach gun in 12 gauge and a 20 for a girl I shoot with. The 20 is great, but the 12 misfires about 20% of the time(I have fired at least 200 rounds from it and it fails about 1 in 5 times) I never use remmington ammo, so it ain't the ammo. Any suggestions as to the cause? It seems well finished; opens with gravity alone and has a very smooth trigger pull; it just fails alot

I had similar problems with my Stoger O/U shotgun. Found the firing pin spring mechanism was rubbing on the inside of the stock. The hammer spring fits into a hole drilled in the stock. On mine, the hole wasn't aligned properly so the spring would rub against the side of the hole. Drilled the hole to a larger diameter until no interference. Problem solved.
Remove the butt stock and try to re-install it when the gun is cocked. It should slide right on with no resistance. If you have to push, even a little, the holes are wrong.

but once you start drilling into that receiver ...it sure isn't going to be covered under any warranty ...if you should still have a problem.../ just saying, go slow, and cautiously ...

by the way, falling open / or opening with gravity ...isn't a good thing either !! And you shouldn't let any gun fall open ...in my opinion .../it puts way too much stress on the receiver to barrel connection - and that's a weak point on Stoeger and many other inexpensive O/U's, Coach guns, etc ...

I had a friend who bought a condor O/U at the same time i bought mine. first time out the lower barrel failed to fire about 50% of the time. looking at the shells we found that the firing pin was barely hitting the primer on the shell. he sent it back to stoeger/ benelli, it was returned 3 weeks later and hasnt had a problem sence

I didn't say drill the receiver. Enlarge the holes in the wood stock. The hammers that strike the firing pins are located under the tang, below the safety. The springs are mounted on rod assemblies that extend behind that point. There are two small holes drilled in the wood to allow clearance for them plus a larger center hole that the stock screw goes through. Remove the butt plate/recoil pad. Use a long, flat tip screwdriver to remove the stock screw. The rear stock will slip off the receiver. No metal removal needed. Just ream out the two small holes in the wood slightly (one drill size at a time) till everything fits. Don't drill deeper, just bigger diameter.

K511,
That's the same problem I was having and how I solved it. Learned this form some old timers at my trap club. We took the stock off and just watched how things worked, looking for what could be interfering.
Mine was just the top barrel about 25% of the time.
Just trying to help a fellow shooter with what I learned by observation and mechanical ability.

No I don't just let it drop open, LOL. It is a good indication that it has been milled well. Perhaps some enjoy having to break open a shot gun over their knee, but I think it is better to have it open easily for reloading purposes. I will look at the pin by removing the stock and see what is happening, but will not drill anything untill I show it to someone who is a better smith then I. Thanks for the advice!

I agree with both BigJim and Jimbo, I don't want a gun opening all the way on it's own when I open the breech. If it looks like it's the same problem Jimbo had, I'd try enlarging the openings VERY gradually.

I never use remmington ammo, so it ain't the ammo. Any suggestions as to the cause? It seems well finished; opens with gravity alone

First - there's nothing wrong with Remington, usually it is the cheap Winchester that causes fits.

Secondly, a gun's ability to just drop open is not a sign of good milling, it is a sign that the parts weren't machined to tight tolerances. Those who break their gun open over their knee have a gun that will gradually smooth itself up even better, not come off the face.

Its good that you don't let it just drop open ...but the reason I bring that up is it seems like I see that move at my club too often ( shooter grabs the stock in both hands ..and slaps the gun in the air / with the barrels unsupported and it slams open ....). Its their gun / and they can treat it anyway they want ....but those guys go on my list of ...never buy a used gun from that man ...( and most of them know better ) ...but new shooters seem to think its cool ...and I noticed a young shooter in his 20's doing it the other day to a pretty nice old Browning ...and I asked why,,, he said well, he sees "old John" over there doing it all the time / and he thought it was the way to do it .... :barf: and he had no idea he was hurting the hinge ...

If a gun does drop open easily, especially as a new gun ....its an indication of sloppy milling .../ not that you should have to break any gun open over your knee ....that's an indication of sloppy fitting as well...

A gun that drops open too easily ...is often in need of some re-fitting / and in the case of some O/U's its an indication that they may be past their prime and in need of some rework.

Stoeger has a reputation for poor milling, which in stoeger coach guns is generally manifested by having a very stiff break open. That is why I took the ease that it breaks open as a good sign, after all it is not so easy that it flys open it just will with gravity alone if you wait a few seconds, but enough debate, especially in an erea where I am not expert LOL I was after all a navy corpsman(medic) and thankfully when I was over seas I never even had cause to unholster my 45(first Gulf war) well cause to maybe but certainly no time.

Rem ammo is great, accept shot gun shells; look at one and compare the primer cap on the shell to a federal or even the cheaper winchester; it is pitifully flat and will misfire far more then other ammo.

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